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Expensive | Moderate

Bella Donna - Jamaican/International

This is about as funky, close-to-the-ground eating as we're going to recommend in this guide. Italian Donna McKenzie is a pugnacious spitfire who worked in Milan as a hair stylist before opening this simple, mostly Jamaican restaurant. In a round building open to breezes wafting in from the wraparound garden, it's the kind of place where you can dine in a bathing suit, or even a towel, and no one will particularly mind-especially after one or two of the house-style rum punches. Menu items are proudly, almost defiantly, Jamaican, albeit with Italian touches and grace notes that Ms. McKenzie learned during her years in Europe. Expect such crossover dishes as linguine with jerk pork, jerk lobster, and a wide medley of salads and local vegetables.

Somerset Rd., West End. Fixed-price lunches J$300-J$350 ($6.90-$8.05); fixed-price dinners J$300-J$650 ($6.90-$14.95); Wed night Jamaican buffet J$500 ($11.50). No credit cards. Daily 7am-11pm.

Chicken Lavish - Jamaican

Chicken Lavish is the best of the low-budget eateries in town. Just show up on the doorstep of this place on the West End beach strip and see what's cooking. Curried goat is a specialty, as is fresh fried fish. The red snapper is caught in local waters, but the big draw is the Jamaican chicken-possibly the best on the island, fried or served with curry or sweet-and-sour sauce. Dine on the roofed-over veranda if you want, or ask for take-out and dine elsewhere.

West End Rd. Main courses $5-$13. MC, V. Daily 10am-10pm.

Choices - Jamaican

This no-frills, open-air restaurant offers local food in a bustling atmosphere. This is a clapboard-sided roadside hut painted in bright reggae colors of blue, green, and yellow. Customer seating is on plastic tables and chairs beneath an open-air parapet. The food is simple and portions are hearty. Breakfast includes ackee and salt cod prepared with Jamaican spices, onions, green peppers, and tomatoes. Daily soup specials might include pumpkin or red pea. For a real island experience, try spicy jerk chicken, fish, or pork. Other dishes might include stewed beef, curried goat, or a dish of oxtail. Most dishes come with salad and a vegetable.

West End Rd. Lunch main courses J$150-J$230 ($4.30-$6.55); dinner main courses J$250-J$800 ($5.75-$18.40). No credit cards. Daily 7am-11pm.

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